Now, black-eyed, he turned back, glanced once quickly into Longstreet's eyes, then looked away. He had been gazing straight ahead, away from Longstreet. But I have seen this happen: we are not prepared for as many deaths as we have to face, inevitably as the war goes on. We are prepared for our own deaths, and for the deaths of comrades. 'We protect ourselves out of military necessity, not do not protect yourself enough and must give thought to it. Lee said, 'We don't fear our own deaths, you and I.' He smiled slightly, then glanced away. That is one reason why there are so very few good officers. But to be a good officer you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. 'To be a good soldier you must love the army.

Lee was riding slowly ahead, without expression. Then Lee said slowly, in a strange, soft, slow tone of voice, 'Soldiering has one great trap.' “They rode for a while in silence, a tiny island in the smoky stream of marching men. ― Michael Shaara, quote from The Killer Angels The strange and marvelous thing about you, Colonel darlin', is that you believe in mankind, even preachers, whereas when you've got my great experience of the world you will have learned that good men are rare, much rarer than you think.” I'm not a clever man meself, but I know it when I run across it.

You are damned good at everything I've seen you do, a lovely soldier, an honest man, and you got a good heart on you too, which is rare in clever men. There's only one aristocracy, and that's right here - ' he tapped his white skull with a thick finger - 'and YOU, Colonel laddie, are a member of it and don't even know it. I don't know who me father was and I don't give a damn. I'm Kilrain, and I God damn all gentlemen. I'll be treated as I deserve, not as my father deserved. There's many a man worse than me, and some better, but I don't think race or country matters a damn. no two things on earth are equal or have an equal chance, not a leaf nor a tree. Where have you seen this divine spark in operation, Colonel? Where have you noted this magnificent equality? The Great White Joker in the Sky dooms us all to stupidity or poverty from birth. What I'm fighting for is the right to prove I'm a better man than many. Believe me, when you've seen them hang each other.Equality? Christ in Heaven. There's many a man alive no more value than a dead dog. “The truth is, Colonel, that there's no divine spark, bless you.

The killer angels book